


When you go somewhere dangerous what do you take?

by lloydsglasses



Series: Series 10 Fics and Drabbles [3]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Cross-Generational Friendship, Episode: s10e03 Thin Ice, Ficlet, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Referenced racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 22:09:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10773462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lloydsglasses/pseuds/lloydsglasses
Summary: “Thanks,” says Bill, staring at the stitching on her coat. “For, you know… Socking him one. Never thought I’d see my tutor do something like that!”The Doctor shifts slightly. “I don’t usually do things like that.”“Yeah,” Bill agrees, though part of her is beginning to wonder just how true that is.





	When you go somewhere dangerous what do you take?

“You’re sure about this?” Bill asks, making her way towards the TARDIS doors. The Doctor turns to look at her and raises a quizzical eyebrow, which ends up getting lost beneath his hat. **1** “Me, blending in, in Regency London. You’re sure people aren’t just going to end up staring as we walk past?” 

“Well of course they’ll stare,” the Doctor says blithely, and Bill feels her stomach drop. “You’re with me, aren’t you? I dazzle people wherever I go.”

He grins one of those sharp grins that show off all his teeth and Bill groans, partly annoyed and partly relieved.

“Nothing I can’t handle then,” she says, trying to banish whatever nerves remain as the TARDIS doors open to the kind of frost Bill’s never seen before.

“Nothing you can’t handle,” repeats the Doctor, his smile softer and more reassuring now as he steps out of the TARDIS and offers her his hand.

\--

It’s quiet inside the carriage. From outside Bill can hear the crunch of wheels against gravel and the bustle of London streets, but it all feels muted and distant. The Doctor hasn’t really said anything since she asked about his age, and for once Bill thinks she might have run out of questions – except for questions of the _do you think they’re going to kill us_ variety, but she’s trying not to focus on those ones too much. 

“I’m sorry you had to listen to that,” the Doctor says suddenly, his words cutting sharply through the quiet carriage. “What Sutcliffe said to you back there.”

“Yeah,” replies Bill, dragging the word out a bit because she isn’t sure what else to say. It still hasn’t quite sunk in properly. In her imagination Bill’s always liked to think she’d be ready with a quick comeback if someone was really rude to her; the truth is that Sutcliffe’s matter-of-fact racism had just left her too shocked and disgusted to even react.

But then, she hadn’t exactly had much time. The Doctor had barely even hesitated.

“Thanks,” says Bill, staring at the stitching on her coat. “For, you know… Socking him one. Never thought I’d see my tutor do something like that!”

The Doctor shifts slightly. “I don’t usually do things like that.”

“Yeah,” Bill agrees, though part of her is beginning to wonder just how true that is. For all his talk about reason, he seems to act on passion and impulse more often than not. “I’m glad you did this time.”

A moment passes before the Doctor speaks. “Me too.”

They fall silent again after that. With nothing else to distract her, Bill finds her mind spinning back to questions about where they’re going and what might happen when they get there. It’s somehow more frightening than the killer robots, now that it’s another human being who seems to want them dead.

“What do you think they’re going to do to us?” she blurts. Her voice comes out slightly shakier than she would have liked.

“Nothing we can’t handle,” says the Doctor.

Bill swallows, turning her head as much as she can to try and see him. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” He shifts a little behind her, and all of a sudden his long fingers curl lightly around Bill’s own. He squeezes her hand ever so gently. 

“Okay,” says Bill, and though his fingers are cold it’s as if she can feel a reassuring warmth spreading slowly through her bones.

“Nothing we can’t handle,” she repeats, taking a deep breath and squeezing back.

\--

 **1** Bill had seriously considered the merits of crossdressing once she’d seen what the Doctor was wearing and realised that top hats and tailcoats were entirely acceptable menswear in 1814. She stopped considering it when she discovered the enormous decorative feather that seemed to have a life of its own.


End file.
